# Any ideas on a new forum? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 21, 2000, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-on-a-new-forum/46619 "2000-12-21T00:47:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Silo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac91a4/32.png) [@Silo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silo)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2000, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-on-a-new-forum/46619/1 "2000-12-21T00:47:18Z")
If we could have another forum on the SDMB what do you think it should be? I was thinking about a “MPSIMS 2” forum for even more mundane and pointless stuff we must share. Or a joke, game and dopefest forum. What do you think? [sup]Maybe someone will come up for a really cool idea for a new forum.[/sup] ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2000, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-on-a-new-forum/46619/2 "2000-12-21T02:10:15Z")
It’s perfect now, but it would be more perfect if there were a books and writers thread. Those threads usually get pages of responses, and since new books come out all the time (and old ones come back in print or are rediscovered, and new folks join in), a permanent book thread seems like a natural. ---
**Author:** ![tshirts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@tshirts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tshirts)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2000, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-on-a-new-forum/46619/3 "2000-12-21T02:27:53Z")
If you want to see how that would work, OpalCat has one \*\*[Oh, the Humanities!](http://fff.fathom.org/cgi-bin/Ultimate.cgi?action=intro) Books/literature, music, film, tv, the arts in general…discuss! recommend! critique! \*\* ---
**Author:** ![Totoro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Totoro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Totoro)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2000, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-on-a-new-forum/46619/4 "2000-12-21T02:41:46Z")
I like the idea for the books and writers thread, as I’m currently working on my first novel. But, y’know, I think that they could just combine MPSIMS and IMHO. It just seems to be the same thing mostly… ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2000, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-on-a-new-forum/46619/5 "2000-12-21T03:04:37Z")
I have long hoped for a forum dedicated to riddles, jokes, games and sports. Not so much because I’d want to visit very often, but because I want to get the dregs out of the forums I do visit. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2000, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-on-a-new-forum/46619/6 "2000-12-21T03:22:01Z")
Silo wrote: > [@](#): > > I was thinking about a “MPSIMS 2” forum for even more mundane and pointless stuff we must share. We have that already. It’s called IMHO. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2000, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-on-a-new-forum/46619/7 "2000-12-21T03:24:25Z")
**tshirts** - Right. I lurk over there at Opal’s board. That’s a nice forum, the Humanities. They did a group read on Ulysses not too long ago. Ack! A bit out of my league, that one. I need to go back and see what everyone thought about it though. You reminded me. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![MattTheCroc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/439d5e/32.png) [@MattTheCroc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MattTheCroc)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2000, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-on-a-new-forum/46619/8 "2000-12-21T03:55:29Z")
I must admit, MPSIMS2 was the first thing that came to mind. Put all the _really_ fringe stuff there… and comparing IMHO to MPSIMS is like comparing the Straight Dope to, well, something really bad. ---
**Author:** ![Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/258eb7/32.png) [@Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wonko_The_Sane)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2000, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-on-a-new-forum/46619/9 "2000-12-21T04:15:18Z")
“Rants!” Sounds like a funny/anger releasing forum! ---
**Author:** ![thinksnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thinksnow/32/2849_2.png) [@thinksnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thinksnow)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2000, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-on-a-new-forum/46619/10 "2000-12-21T04:30:00Z")
Oh for the love of… :humph: **Sex** Why even try not doing it, you know you want to. ---
**Author:** ![drewbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drewbert/32/15890_2.png) [@drewbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewbert)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2000, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-on-a-new-forum/46619/11 "2000-12-21T04:54:43Z")
**Really Old, Tired Debates** ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2000, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-on-a-new-forum/46619/12 "2000-12-21T05:07:01Z")
Lately, it seems like we could use a new forum just for Dopefest threads. Or a whole forum devoted to people’s announcements of their leaving and coming back to the boards. How about a forum just for pleas for sympathy? Or one devoted to flirting? Or matchmaking threads? How 'bout “Homerland,” a forum exclusively for posting drunk? I do like the idea of a Humanities forum. Also, I wonder if GQ could be split. It seems that threads fall off the first page awfully quick. ---
**Author:** ![Monster104](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Monster104](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monster104)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2000, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-on-a-new-forum/46619/13 "2000-12-21T05:36:36Z")
How about one for people who want to post drunk? ---
**Author:** ![Kepi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kepi/32/7251_2.png) [@Kepi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kepi)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2000, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-on-a-new-forum/46619/14 "2000-12-21T05:45:17Z")
Here’s another vote for a Humanities forum - a place for “scholarly” discussions of books, theater, music, film, art, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2000, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-on-a-new-forum/46619/15 "2000-12-21T05:48:46Z")
E-TV All Ender, all the time. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2000, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-on-a-new-forum/46619/16 "2000-12-21T12:46:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Green Bean \* > \*\*Lately, it seems like we could use a new forum just for Dopefest threads. \*\* I’ve been thinking the same thing for awhile, **Green Bean**! MPSIMS turns over about every three hours, these days, and the pace is only going to pick up over time. Which means that if you don’t look over there at the right times, you can miss the thread about the Dopefest in your area for _weeks_. Or we could (with consent of the admins, of course) move the Dopefest threads to ATMB, which has a slower turnover time. Dopefests are ‘about this board’, so why not? 🙂 Other than that, a Humanities forum (books, movies, plays, etc.) sounds great. The one at Fathom was a good idea, but I think it suffers from a shortage of posters. (In general, Fathom’s got too many fora for the number of active posters it currently has, but that’s another story. I’ve spoken up about that, over there, but mine seems to be a minority view.) This board is a much larger community, and I think a forum of this type would thrive here. ---
**Author:** ![Spritle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Spritle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spritle)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2000, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-on-a-new-forum/46619/17 "2000-12-21T12:56:39Z")
how 'bout a board (bored?) for simplistic whining (It’s too cold…I hate brussels sprouts… Please turn off your turn signal after 8 miles…). Oh wait, that’s the current manifestation of the Pit. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e19adc/32.png) [@McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2000, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-on-a-new-forum/46619/18 "2000-12-21T12:59:02Z")
I’d be happy with either a riddles/jokes/sports forum or a **Oh the humanities type** arty forum where people could post short stories, links to artwork etc… ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2000, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-on-a-new-forum/46619/19 "2000-12-21T13:15:58Z")
How about a forum for topics that keep coming up over and over again? It could be a “classic” or “ad nauseum” area depending on your point of view. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2000, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-on-a-new-forum/46619/20 "2000-12-21T13:24:45Z")
It seems that the problem with creating a new forum might just be the same as the problem with widening a highway: It might ease traffic in the short term, but it will soon fill to capacity again. That said, I guess a new forum should be designed to siphon traffic from a forum that is already overcrowded, like MPSIMS or GQ. I think the addition of IMHO worked really well. But now MPSIMS seems almost as busy as ever. Of course, adding forums leads to big administrative difficulties. I just took a quick look in MPSIMS, and it seems to me that quite a few of the threads there could probably be moved to IMHO–polling, etc. I guess that’s the problem with a. creating a new forum, and b. having forums that aren’t especially distinct. Just creates more work for the mods. That said–I think that someone a while back suggested a forum called “the Watercooler.” I forget what the suggestion for the contents of that thread was, but it would be a great name for a forum. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-on-a-new-forum/46619.md?page=2)